with him; and to put all knights of the Round Table whom I should overcome to a villainous death.  And this I swore to her.”  Then prayed the earls, and knights, and barons, who stood round Sir Beaumains, to spare the Red Knight’s life.  “Truly,” replied he, “I am loth to slay him, notwithstanding he hath done such shameful deeds.  And inasmuch as what he did was done to please his lady and to gain her love, I blame him less, and for your sakes I will release him.  But on this agreement only shall he hold his life—­that straightway he depart into the castle, and yield him to the lady there, and make her such amends as she shall ask, for all the trespass he hath done upon her lands; and afterwards, that he shall go unto King Arthur’s court, and ask the pardon of Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain for all the evil he hath done against them.”  “All this, Sir knight, I swear to do,” said the Knight of the Redlands; and therewith he did him homage and fealty.

Then came the damsel Linet to Sir Beaumains and the Knight of the Redlands, and disarmed them, and staunched their wounds.  And when the Knight of the Redlands had made amends for all his trespasses, he departed for the court.

Then Sir Beaumains, being healed of his wounds, armed himself, and took his horse and spear and rode straight to the castle of Dame Lyones, for greatly he desired to see her.  But when he came to the gate they closed it fast, and pulled the drawbridge up.  And as he marvelled thereat, he saw the Lady Lyones standing at a window, who said, “Go thy way as yet, Sir Beaumains, for thou shalt not wholly have my love until thou be among the worthiest knights of all the world.  Go, therefore, and labour yet in arms for twelve months more, and then return to me.”  “Alas! fair lady,” said Sir Beaumains, “I have scarce deserved this of thee, for sure I am that I have bought thy love with all the best blood in my body.”  “Be not aggrieved, fair knight,” said she, “for none of thy service is forgot or lost.  Twelve months will soon be passed in noble deeds; and trust that to my death I shall love thee and not another.”  With that she turned and left the window.

So Sir Beaumains rode away from the castle very sorrowrul at heart, and rode he knew not whither, and lay that night in a poor man’s cottage.  On the morrow he went forward, and came at noon to a broad lake, and thereby he alighted, being very sad and weary, and rested his head upon his shield, and told his dwarf to keep watch while he slept.

Now, as soon as he had departed, the Lady Lyones repented, and greatly longed to see him back, and asked her sister many times of what lineage he was; but the damsel would not tell her, being bound by her oath to Sir Beaumains, and said his dwarf best knew, So she called Sir Gringamors, her brother, who dwelt with her, and prayed him to ride after Sir Beaumains till he found him sleeping, and then to take his dwarf away and bring him back to her.  Anon Sir Gringamors departed, and rode till he came to Sir Beaumains, and found him as he lay sleeping by the water-side.  Then stepping stealthily behind the dwarf he caught him in his arms and rode off in haste.  And though the dwarf cried loudly to his lord for help, and woke Sir Beaumains, yet, though he rode full quickly after him, he could not overtake Sir Gringamors.